Tricks and Traps

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Jinan Jomon

100th Paris City Chess Championship; time control: 1 hour and 30 minutes plus 30 seconds per move at the finish; Paris, July 13, 2025

Richter-Veresov Attack D01

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 a6 5. dxc5 e6 6. Na4 Bxc5 7. Nxc5 Qa5+ 8. c3 Qxc5 9. Nf3 0-0 10. Bd3 Nc6 11. 0-0 Qe7 12. Ne5 Nd7 13. Nxd7 Bxd7 14. e4 dxe4 15. Bxe4 e5 16. Re1 Be6 17. Bg3 f6 18. Qc2 Kh8 19. f4 h6 20. Bf3 exf4 21. Bxf4 Qf7 22. b3 Bd5 23. Be2 Ne5 24. Qd2 Bc6 25. Bxe5 fxe5 26. Bc4 Qh5 27. Rad1 Rf6 28. Qe2 Qg5 29. Bd5 Re8 30. Be4 Qh4 31. Bxc6 Rxc6 32. c4 Qe7 33. Rd5 Rc5 34. Red1 Rc7 35. Qe4 Qg5 36. Rf1

36. ... Rce7? Black’s situation is a little bit uncomfortable, but should be tenable after, say, 36. ... Qe7! somehow holding everything together. Instead, the move in the text is a grave error that takes away space for the Queen.
37. h4! Qh5 38. Rf3 Rc8 39. Rf5 Qe8 40. Rfxe5. One Pawn has fallen, but will it be enough?
40. ... Rcc7 41. Kh2 Qf8 42. Qd4 Rxe5 43. Qxe5 Re7 44. Qd6 Qf7 45. Qb8+ Kh7 46. Rd8

46. ... Re4? Jomon cannot hold his nerves. The right move was 46. ... Qf6! 47. Rh8+ Kg6 48. Qg3+ Kh5 with a “win-win deal”.

47. Rh8+ Kg6 48. Qg3+ Kh5? A blind spot, but 48. ... Kf5 49. Rd8 cannot save the game either,
49. Qf5# 1–0.

Just like a black butterfly. Photo: Ligue d’Île-de-France des Échecs.